Awe-inspiring South African Safari

This listing has one of the 10 most popular offers available in South Africa

Join this short safari in South Africa with Wildlife Safaris. On this safari, you will journey through the famous park led by a professional guide. This safari will focus on maximum safari drives in Big Five areas of Kruger National Park, including early morning, mid-morning, afternoon, and evening drives. Join this holiday if you want to experience a memorable African Safari at Kruger National Park with its diversity of animals.

Accommodation

On this safari, you will be accommodated for 2 nights at the main camp (mid-range chalet with restaurant) inside Kruger National Park with air conditioner, insect screens, private shower, and toilet.

Kruger park

There are 12 main rest camps situated in different areas of Kruger Park which enable visitors freedom of movement to explore the reserve. The original term "rest camp" is misleading to most overseas tourists and implies a rather basic or temporary facility. In fact, these rest camps are permanent structures similar to small resorts providing comfortable African-style chalets, licensed restaurants, shops, and other features.

Overnight camps are chosen according to availability and conditions. There are different types of accommodation including standard chalets, luxury riverside chalets, family cottages, furnished safari tents, or economy huts. National Parks usually refer to these African chalets as bungalows. Each of the main rest camps is fenced off to prevent dangerous animals from entering. Guests must remain within the camp from dusk till dawn.

There are a restaurant, shop, and swimming pool. Mobile phones should pick up a signal but otherwise, there are no telephones in the chalets. Chalets are serviced daily, air-conditioned, equipped with bedding, towels, a private shower, toilet, and basin. Guests are supplied with a front door key and insect screens are fitted to the windows. Most chalets have a small patio with a table, chairs, and a refrigerator. Standard SA 220v electric sockets are fitted to rooms and adaptors for charging videos or mobile phones are available from the shop.

Riverside chalets

Riverside chalets which are round thatched chalets situated along the river frontage have a more modern design with sliding glass doors so that guests can enjoy the view as well as animals coming to drink. They have two separate beds pushed together, quality decor, much larger modern bathroom, TV with limited channels plus upgraded lighting, and air-conditioner. There are a patio, outdoor furniture, and a refrigerator. They are not officially graded but they are equivalent to four-stars. These particular chalets are situated at Skukuza, but other camps such as lower Sabie and Satara will soon be providing superior chalets.

Standard chalets

Standard chalets are usually round (rondavel) with a thatched roof, single room, two or three separate beds,and en-suite shower or toilet. These rooms are reserved for couples (double), two friends (twin), or families (triple). They are mostly graded three stars.

Upgraded chalets

Upgraded chalets are superior to standard chalets and provide more comfort. They are suitable for double or triple occupancy, en-suite, equipped with aircon, possibly TV, better soft furnishings, and a refrigerator.

Wildlife Safaris in South Africa Itinerary

Day 1

Depart from Johannesburg in the comfort of your air-conditioned microbus and travel east across the Highveld farmlands. Continue down the scenic Elands Valley to Nelspruit, the center of the finest citrus farms. Enter the Kruger National Park via one of the southern gates in time for lunch.

Spend the afternoon on your first exciting game drive looking for elephant, giraffe, hippopotamus, and antelope. Your guide will teach you to spot the animals and ensure that you have access to open windows for photos and videos on all game drives.

Towards evening, you will arrive at your rest camp and book into an en-suite chalet with an air conditioner and insect screens. Freshen up and then time for a "sundowner" drink before dinner in the privatized restaurant and overnight.

Day 2

Awaken at dawn and listen to the birds before driving out of camp hoping to find some of the Big Five (lion, leopard, elephant, rhino, and buffalo). Enjoy a hearty breakfast, then continue to a waterhole to see hippos, crocodiles, and birds before returning to your camp for a siesta or perhaps an afternoon swim.

After dinner, board the open safari vehicle equipped with spotlights for a night drive (duration 2 - 3 hours) when you can search for predators and other nocturnal species. Overnight at your rest camp, listening to the sounds of hyena and often lion.

Day 3

Pack up and depart on another memorable early morning game drive looking for elusive species such as leopard lurking in the African bush. Breakfast and time for shopping before leaving the park for your homeward journey.

Relax and enjoy a drive through the fertile farmlands via Schoemans Kloof and up to the Highveld for lunch. Arrive back at O.R. Tambo International Airport (JNB) before 16:00 for onward flights or continue to your hotel.

Guides

Nik

Nik is the chief guide and has been conducting tours to Kruger Park and other top safari destinations since 1976. His natural good looks, charm and cheerful manner make him a favorite with the tourists. He is a specialist guide and has studied the habits of the wild animals in great detail so that he can make his tours exciting. Nik is a very keen cyclist and passionate about health and fitness.

Location

Kruger National Park

Kruger National Park which attracts over one million visitors in a year is one of the oldest and largest national parks in Africa. The original Sabie Game Reserve was proclaimed by President Paul Kruger in 1898 and later extended to its present size of approximately 19,000 square kilometers or 8,000 square miles. It extends from Limpopo River in the north to Crocodile River in the south, a distance of nearly 380 kilometers. To the east, it borders with Mozambique and on the west, it joins many of other private game reserves.

Kruger, one of the great natural sanctuaries of the world, is home to an impressive number of species including 147 mammals, 507 birds, 114 reptiles, 34 amphibians, 49 fishes, and 336 trees. It is recommended that overseas visitors join a guided tour for three or four days to have the best opportunities for game viewing and to benefit from the knowledge of the professional guides. Since most of the animals are used to the presence of motor vehicles, the place is usually ideal for photos and videos.

The countryside throughout the park varies and has typical bushveld in the southern regions which give way to grasslands towards the central and northern areas. There are six major rivers flowing throughout the year, in addition to dams and water holes. The climate is subtropical. The wet season extends from October until May with much of the rainfall occurring as thunderstorms of short duration. Game viewing is possible any time of the year.

Each season has its unique attraction although perhaps springtime, with the arrival of the baby impalas and the blossoms on the trees and wildflowers, is the most memorable. There are nine entrance gates which lead to a network of roads covering different areas of the park. The fourteen main rest camps (similar to resorts) provide comfortable en-suite accommodation, restaurants, shops, petrol stations, and telephones. Organized wildlife activities are available and can be booked at the camps.

Features

General

Air-conditioned rooms

Restaurant

Food

On this safari, you will have 2 meals per day that will be served in the privatized camp restaurants. Wildlife Safaris uses The Cattle Baron or Mugg & Bean restaurants and your guide will make arrangements. The restaurants have been refurbished and modernized so passengers can look forward to better meals and improved service in Kruger. Often, the guides visit Lower Sabie for breakfast. The restaurant is in a wonderful spot overlooking the Sabie River.

During the dry season, you can expect to see plenty of hippopotamus and crocodiles as you sip coffee. Dinner each night will be at a camp restaurant or your guide may plan a barbecue. Lunches in Kruger National Park are available at the Deli Café at an extra cost. Camp shops sell groceries, soft drinks, alcoholic drinks, books, maps, and curios. It is possible for vegetarians to find suitable meals in Kruger, but Wildlife Safaris must be advised when booking.

The following meals are included:

Breakfast

Dinner

The following dietary requirement(s) are served and/or catered for:

Vegetarian

Regular (typically includes meat and fish)

If you have special dietary requirements it's a good idea to communicate it to the organiser when making a reservation

What's included

1 evening drive at Kruger National Park in an open safari vehicle with spotlights

2 nights' chalet accommodation

5 game drives in a 9-seater open safari vehicle

Daily breakfast and dinner

Daily conservation fee

Entrance into Kruger National Park

Return transport from Johannesburg to Kruger National Park in a 7-seater air-conditioned microbus

Services of a specialist Kruger National Park guide for 3 days

What's not included

Drinks

Lunches

Personal items

Tips

How to get there

Arrival by airplane

Please book your flight to arrive at O. R. Tambo International Airport (JNB) or Nelspruit Airport (NLP). Transfer from and to the airport is included. Wildlife Safaris will pick you up from the airport. The pick-up from O. R. Tambo International Airport (JNB) is between 07:00 and 08:00 while pick-up from Nelspruit Airport (NLP) is from 12:00 or by arrangement.